The 110-year-old Sion bridge has been closed for traffic for the next two years, starting Thursday (August 1), as the Central Railway has been undertaking its demolition and reconstruction

The demolition phase is anticipated to last four to five months. It was originally scheduled for demolition on January 20, the closure of the road overbridge (ROB), which connects Dharavi, Bandra and LBS Road to the eastern part of Sion and Bharatratna Ambedkar Road, was postponed several times owing to the LS polls and the various exams

The section of the bridge over the railway is currently 40 metres long and will be extended to 51 metres to fit the new 5th and 6th railway lines. The bridge will stay closed until July 31, 2026, with the reconstruction costing around Rs 51 crore

According to a Central Railway notification, pedestrians can use a public foot-over bridge at Dharavi Dhobighat, which is 500 metres from Sion station towards the Matunga side, and another FOB towards the Kurla side, 350 metres from Sion station

Alternative routes for the Sion ROB closure include Sulochana Shetty Marg near Lokmanya Tilak Hospital, Sion; Chunabhatti to BKC Connector; and Chembur-Santacruz Link Road. Two- and three-wheelers are not allowed on the Chunabhatti connector

According to the traffic police, light vehicles coming from Kurla via LBS Road and Sant Rohidas Road should turn right at Pehalwan Naresh Mane Chowk and follow Sant Rohidas Road, Ashok Mill Naka, K.K. Krishnan Menan Marg, Kumbharwada Junction, Sulochana Shetty Road, and Sion hospital Bridge